The Lion and the Hunter

David
15 March 2018

The Hunter Valley is so hot and humid that it might seem a strange place to grow grapes. But as leading wine journo Jamie Goode points out “the Hunter makes some of Australia’s most interesting, mid-bodied, elegant and ageworthy expressions of Shiraz.” The Oxford Companion to Wine describes Hunter Shiraz as “extremely distinctive, moderately tannic and long lived wines with earth and tar overtone, sometimes described as having the aroma of a sweaty saddle after a hard day’s ride. At 20-30 years of age, the best acquire a silky sheen eerily close to wines of a similar age from the Rhône Valley.”

While sweaty saddle might seem like a strange descriptor, it’s well-known by Hunter Shiraz devotees. But have you noticed this uniquely Hunter character diminishing over recent years?

What was thought to have been a distinct expression of the Hunter climate and soil, is now known to be the more unromantic compounds created by the yeast Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, and its close relative, Dekkera Bruxulensis. These characters are commonly referred to simply as 'Brett'. The southern Rhone is another region where common ‘house styles’ or regional attributes (some of which are regarded as complex and desirable) are in fact Brett.

On his aromadictionary website, Richard Gawel, a research scientist at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), describes the 'Bretty' character. He identifies the three most important known aroma active compounds as:

1) 4-ethyl phenol (4-ep), which has been variously described as having the aromas of Band-aids®, antiseptic and horse stable.

2) 4-ethyl guaiacol (4-eg) which has a rather pleasant aroma of smoked bacon, spice or cloves.

3) Isovaleric acid which has an unpleasant smell of sweaty animals, cheese and rancidity.

While Brettanomyces can be found on the outside of grapes and on winery equipment, its favourite place is oak barrels. Recognition of this has lead to many of the older Hunter wineries systematically replacing old barrels and implementing better hygiene practices. The result of which is that the typical ‘stinky’ Hunter Shiraz is much harder to come by - replaced by a truer expression of the Hunter.

But enough of the techy stuff.

James Halliday confidently asserts that “For those born and bred in Sydney, the Lower Hunter Valley is not only the greatest and the most important wine region in Australia, it is tantamount to the only region.” I was born and bred in Sydney and have to confess I haven’t shared this view, but recently found myself getting excited about Hunter Shiraz with the success of the 2014 vintage. It’s been hailed by both winemakers and critics as the best in decades, many saying conditions were the best since since 1965.

“The Hunter Valley has what must rate as the best vintage in half a century… Shiraz is absolutely outstanding,”Halliday’s Wine Companion. He rated the vintage 10 out of 10 for red.

“The 2014 vintage is being touted by Hunter Valley winemakers as one of the best in living memory for shiraz; some old-timers are saying you need to go back to classic years such as 1965 to find a comparably favourable growing season. And from what I’ve tasted of the 14s so far I’d have to agree: the best wines are exceptional - wonderful to drink now, but also destined for a long and delicious life in the cellar.”Max Allen, The Australian.

The more measured Huon Hooke noted that “The 2014 vintage is a great one for Hunter Valley Shiraz. What I like about the 2014 Hunter Shirazes is their tremendous concentration, their depth of flavour (and colour) without sacrificing traditional Hunter elegance.” July 2015, The Real Review.

“Vintage of the century - definitely. Best vintage since 1965 - probably. As good as 1965 - possibly. Quite simply the best (red) vintage I’ve experienced in my (nearly) 30 years of making wine in the Hunter.”Andrew Thomas, Thomas Wines.

Bruce Tyrrell compares 2014 to the great 1965 vintage, saying it was the best of both this and last century. He rates the vintage 10 out of 10 for reds as do both Ian Scarbourough and Mike De Iuliis. Brian McGuigan also reckons 2014 was as good as 1965.

Jim Chatto, Hunter Valley Wine Show Chairman and Chief winemaker for McWilliams said “you get one, maybe two of these vintages in your lifetime, make it count” and “that he had never seen better reds in his 21 year experience with Hunter wine.”

While everyone knows the big names in the Hunter, I’d like to tell you about a relative newcomer Leogate Estate, which has succeeded in resurrecting a famous Hunter vineyard and is now turning out some excellent Shiraz, particularly from the 2014 vintage.

Leogate was established by Bill and Vicki Widin in 2008 and is named after its cast-iron entry gates featuring a rampant lion. The couple purchased the property in two parts from Fosters and Tyrrells, and Leogate now totals around 330 acres, of which 185 are under vine.

The basis of the estate is the Brokenback Vineyard, located on Broke Rd Pokolbin and planted in the mid-to-late 70s by Len Evans as part of the Rothbury Estate. The vineyard is a gem, located in a prime site in the valley. Directly to its north lies the famous HVD Vineyard, now owned by Tyrrells and a source of fruit for both Vat 1 and Vat 47, and directly to its south lies the Braemore Vineyard, another famous plot that supplies fruit to top Hunter estates like Thomas Wines.

I visited Leogate a couple of years ago and have subsequently met Bill several times. He’s no-nonsense and he’s a doer. Bill had a successful career in business and accounting during the 80s, after which he became a substantial cattle farmer (Angus) in the Tamworth district. Now at an age when most people are retiring, he’s establishing a substantial winery… as you do.

Bill hired top winemaker Mark Woods (ex Briar Ridge) and in 2012 built a smart new winery capable of processing 500T. And in case the couple didn’t have enough on their plate, last year Bill purchased another 250 acre certified organic vineyard in Mudgee, which he’s in the process of expanding.

It’s wonderful to see someone with a big vision, deep pockets and faith in the Hunter, bringing life back to an historic site. It’s clear Bill has set the right foundations, with the estate receiving recognition for the quality of its wines right from the start. JamesHalliday rates Leogate 5 stars and notes “they have had a string of show successes for their very impressive portfolio.”

Here are a few of the early highlights - impressive for such a young winery:

- At the 2014 London International Wine Challenge, Leogate’s The Basin Reserve Shiraz 2011 was awarded the James Rogers Trophy for the World’s Best New Wine.

- At the 2013 Hunter Valley Wine Show, Leogate’s Western Slopes Reserve Shiraz 2011 won the Len Evans Trophy for best named vineyard wine and the Drayton Family Trophy for best named vineyard dry red.

It seems Leogate is beginning to roar.

Leogate Estate Brokenback Shiraz 2014

The fruit for this wine comes from the Brokenback Vineyard, with winemaker Mark Woods saying the 2014 vintage was "the best you could hope for.”

After crushing and destemming, the must was fermented on grape skins for approximately 10 days. After which the wine was transferred into 1, 2 and 3 year old small French 80% and American 20% oak casks for 14 months maturation. The wine was fined and filtered before bottling.

“Deep red/purple in colour with a vibrant crimson hue. An intense bouquet of plum and spice with supporting oak. This Shiraz is a classic rich and flavoursome style with subtle French oak complexity. The wine displays pepper, spice and layers of ripe berry/plum fruit flavours, while the fine tannins give the wine structure and length. Medium to full bodied style. Drinking well now or will further develop with medium term cellaring, 5-10 years.14%.” Winemaker’s notes.

In 2016 the wine was served in Business Class on international Qantas flights. To make this grade a rigourous tasting of 1200 wines is carried out by a tasting panel of 11 highly regarded sommeliers.

“The bouquet has more spicy notes than most Hunter Valley Shiraz, amplified this voyage but backed up by a full spectrum of red, purple and black fruits matured in French oak. Will be a classic but needs a degree of patience.” 94 points, James Halliday’s Wine Companion.

“This black and fully opaque wine sports a dashingly sexy and seductive nose. It’s restrained when first poured, primarily displaying its excellent intensity of minerals, asphalt and gunflint. With some time in the glass, flavors of black plum coulis, cassis and black cherry jam begin to unleash their charm. There’s loads of power here, with an intense and dense mid-palate, dry and textured tannins and a long finish. A food-friendly wine, it would benefit from cellaring but is fully enticing now. Drink through 2024.” 94 points, Wine Enthusiast Magazine USA - Jan 2018.

At already 4 years of age, it’s great drinking now, but will go a few more years in the cellar… if you can wait.

And here are a couple of super wines. Both the Western Slopes Reserve and The Basin Reserve Shiraz are sourced from isolated parcels within the Brokenback Vineyard, where crop yields are low, producing wines with excellent concentration of fruit flavour. Both wines are produced in very limited quantities.

Leogate Estate Western Slopes Reserve Shiraz 2014

“From west-facing vines on a small plot of the Brokenback Vineyard planted in the early '70s. Dark crimson-purple, beautifully deep and intensely bright; it has a layered and spicy bouquet with hints of dried herbs setting it apart from the other '14 Shirazes, it is firmer and the tannins more present, the finish no less intense and long.” 95 points, James Halliday.

“Deep, intensely bright hue; the bouquet is complex and multilayered, with classic Hunter characters: plum, earth, spice and layers of dark and red fruits. The palate flows magnificently with a precise and intense line of fruit and tannin that goes on and on.” 97 points, James Halliday.

In 2016 the wine was served on QantasFirst Class International Flights, which is a bit of another big deal as it involves a rigourous tasting of 1200 wines carried out by a tasting panel of 11 highly regarded sommeliers.

Receive our newsletter

Liquor Act 2007: It is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to, or obtain alcohol on behalf of, a person under the age of 18 years. We support the responsible service of alcohol.

MasterCard

Visa

Terms & Conditions

Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Bottle and Glass’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.

The term ‘Bottle and Glass’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Shop 4, 29 Newland St, Bondi Junction, NSW, 2022. Our ABN is 61 143 856 919. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.

Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.

All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.

Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.

From time to time, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).

Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of Australia.

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how we uses and protects any information that you give us when you use this website.

We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

What we collect

We may collect the following information:

name and job title

contact information including email address

demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests

other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

Internal record keeping.

We may use the information to improve our products and services.

We may periodically send promotional emails about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.

From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail. We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.
Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes

if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.